Major Biographies

MICHAEL’S VERDICT: “A real page-turner that offers insight into Roald Dahl’s personality not available anywhere else. The author, who met Roald Dahl numerous times, has done his research and offered a new perspective and view on Roald Dahl.”

Other Biographies

MY VERDICT: “Provides necessary contrast for much of what’s written about Dahl. Though much of the book deals with Neal’s affair with Gary Cooper (before she met Dahl), the last half provides a gripping and personal look at the famous author from the person who probably knew him best.”

Published subsequently as Roald Dahl and his Chocolate Factory (Horribly Famous) and Roald Dahl’s Life in Stories

MY VERDICT: “This is a great introduction to Dahl’s life for a young reader (or an adult who’s a kid at heart). Not only is it packed with information, but the many cartoons, comics, and jokes keep the mood light and fun. At the same time, though, it doesn’t gloss over some of the more negative aspects of his life. I recommend it.”

MY VERDICT: “This book was written by a journalist in close contact with the Dahl family and chronicles the period following Patricia Neal’s strokes. Popularized the idea that Dahl’s ‘tough love’ is what ultimately enabled Neal to make a full recovery. She later used her autobiography As I Am to counter many of Farrell’s statements that she felt were unfair. It’s interesting reading, at any rate, and would be especially useful to anyone related to a stroke victim.”

Supposedly a novel, it’s actually a thinly–disguised autobiography of her childhood

MY VERDICT: “A rather tawdry read. Not very successful as a novel, and not much better as an autobiography. Basically it’s all about the feelings of inadequacy that Tessa formed in childhood as a result of her dead sister, impaired mother, and overbearing father. It is interesting to hear a kid’s perspective on those tumultuous years, though.”